Bird-lovers in the Midlands are running the risk of killing ducks, geese and swans – with kindness
By being fed bread the birds can develop a health condition which can prevent them from flying.
As a result, victims might be unable to seek out more nutritious natural food, and could eventually starve to death.
Bird experts are warning well-meaning families to stop throwing starchy scraps to ducks, geese and swans on park ponds, lakes and rivers in the region.
They say that it is much better to give them properly balanced food which is easy and cheap to buy.
Grahame Madge, of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said: “Feeding ducks on the park pond – or geese and swans on rivers – has become a long-established favourite pastime for many people, especially parents with young children.
“It is an excellent way for the public to have contact with birdlife and for toddlers to learn to appreciate ducks, geese and swans later in life.
“But feeding bread – or we’ve often seen chips – to birds can lead to them developing health problems.
“Food thrown into the water, but not eaten, can also cause difficulties with nutrient build-up in the water, especially in closed water like ponds and lakes.
“We don’t want to stop people from feeding ducks, geese and swans but they should consider buying properly balanced food which is available from pet shops or from vets.
“They are even partial to pieces of cut-up green vegetables, which are good for them and which people can take from home.”
The major health problem to birds caused by over-feeding with bread is a condition known as Angel Wing – deformed wing growth which stops birds from flying. Too much bread or chips also causes bloating, making the birds lethargic and ill-looking.
The imbalance of protein and carbohydrates in the diet is passed on by adult birds to ducklings, goslings and cygnets as they develop in the egg, and causes deformed wings as they grow up.
Significantly, the condition is unknown in areas where humans do not feed birds.
Local councils across the Midlands are also concerned about uneaten food floating on park ponds and lakes, and lying on the banks of rivers which, as well as being unsightly, can attract rats.
Left-over bread can also become riddled with bacteria and – by attracting large numbers of birds to places where people regularly feed them – there is also a problem with fouling on grassed and paved areas.
A veterinary practice in Bewdley, Worcestershire, has become so worried about the potential health hazard in the town that it has put up warning signs along the promenades beside the River Severn.
Bewdley is popular with day-trippers from Birmingham and the Black Country who are regularly seen feeding the birds with ‘treats’ including chips from local fish and chip shops.
Riverside Vets, aiming to ‘Keep Bewdley’s Birds Beautiful’, is selling suitable bird food for 50p a bag, with proceeds going to charity.